Investigating project management practice in Nigerian government construction organisations: a systems thinking approach.

The differences between management in government organisations and private ones are well recognised in the literature, and these variances reflect in how project management is practiced in both organisations. Consequently, the difficulties of developing Project Management in government organisations have been acknowledged. Specifically, in African developing countries where socio-economic and political nuisance prevails, these difficulties are far from being resolved. Although a number of challenges confronting management of government projects in developing countries have been identified in the literature, no significant solution or initiative has been implemented by way of resolving the problem. In Nigeria, public sector projects are activities or projects administered by government in order to provide amenities to the general public. The Nigerian government has positioned itself to advance the nation's economy, by increasing the country's GDP through the execution of adequate and enduring building construction projects. A key component of this positioning is the intervention Vision 20:20, with one of its objectives being to provide housing facilities that will meet the demands of the increasing population and urbanization. Vision 20:20 introduced the project management concept to government organisations so as to improve management capabilities, with the purpose of enabling the public sector to efficiently manage projects and realise developmental objectives. However, the inadequate management and administration of government projects in Nigeria have resulted in a pool of abandoned, poorly developed and failed projects. From a review of previous studies, it was observed that various components have been identified as hindrances to the development of project management practice in African developing countries. However, the reductionist approach applied in these investigations means that components were defined in terms of a singular aspect in relation to the organisation. Such a singular focus on the challenges of developing project management practice has not been sufficient to guarantee a properly developed project management system in these contexts. Consequently, systems thinking theory is used as the basis for this study, in order to explore and explain the causal relationship of components impacting on project management practice in construction government organisations. A critical realism methodology is the philosophical approach adopted for this research, which is underpinned by the use of qualitative methods to explore existing mechanisms. Semi-structured interviews were the primary source of data, while secondary methods (literature review) served a crucial role in verifying the findings from the interview data. The study uncovered the significance of structure and agency on project management practice development in Nigerian government construction organisations. It reveals how the external environment, governance, middle management and project execution systems interact to influence project management practice. Another significant finding is the autopoietic nature of the middle management system, which demonstrates the capability of organising, reproducing and maintaining itself. Identification of this feature indicates that the middle managers in Nigerian government construction organisations have a relatively important role to play in influencing the development of project management practice. The developed framework highlights the relevance of the different systems towards the development of project management practice in Nigerian government construction organisations. It reveals that the project execution system is impacted by several elements within the external environment, middle management system and the governance system; the middle management system is influenced only by elements within the governance system; the governance system is influenced only by elements within the external environment, and the external environment is influenced by elements within the governance and project execution systems

Critical realism: what you should know and how to apply it.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the critical realism (CR) philosophical viewpoint and how it can be applied in qualitative research. CR is a relatively new and viable philosophical paradigm proposed as an alternative to the more predominant paradigms of positivism, interpretivism and pragmatism. This paper reviews the concept, its benefits and limitation. It goes further to provide an example of how CR is used as a philosophical and methodological framework with the systems thinking theory to applied qualitative research. Design/methodology/approach: A study of project management challenges in a Nigerian government organisation is used to demonstrate a qualitative research approach, which includes a coding process and data analysis that is consistent with CR ontology and epistemology. Findings: CR focuses primarily on closed systems. However, a more accurate explanation of reality is obtained in addition to the identification of contextual causal mechanisms in the context of study when a general systems theory is applied. Research limitations/implications: The knowledge about the nature of relationships obtained in the context of study may not necessarily be replicated in another context. However, this paper elucidates a CR process that is generalisable by demonstrating how a theory is applied in a different context. Originality/value: The paper demonstrates how systems theory is used to understand interactions in a CR paradigm. It engages with CR approach critically and illustrates a clear example of how CR can be applied in social research

A construction project manager's competency profile: the role of emotional-cognitive abilities.

The importance of stakeholder management has been emphasised in project management literature as it directly impacts project performance. Construction project management consists of a collective term referred to as project participants: client/owner, project manager, architect, engineer and contractor. Leadership and Management skills are vital to the performance of the construction industry. Since project managers are responsible for successfully coordinating activities within the project lifecycle, they will benefit from emotional intelligence as a management tool. However, there is a need for greater awareness of emotional intelligence within the construction industry

An overview of emotional intelligence research in construction project management: methodological concerns.

The aim of this paper is to present an overview of previous studies on Emotional Intelligence (EI) in construction project management. The literature was surveyed to identify and describe the characteristics of previous studies of EI in the construction industry. Research themes and methods are reviewed in order to establish how EI of construction project managers are assessed. The findings indicate that majority of the studies applied a positivist methodology in investigating EI which may cloud the actual perception of the individual and consequently the relevance of the concept. Furthermore, the deficit of any alternative methodology may prevent elucidation of new informative ways to explain EI in a unique context such as construction. The study recommends the exploration of construction professionals' identities through their real life experiences by applying the grounded theory approach in order to better understand how EI can be developed and applied in construction project management

Project management practices in government organizations of developing countries: a systematic review.

Public sector project management is increasingly becoming an important subject matter for both the project management environment as well as the public sector, due to the demands for improvement in accountability and organizational effectiveness in public organizations. Project practitioners executing government projects in developing countries encounter various challenges, both internal and external to the project. This article analyses previous studies on project management practices in developing countries government organizations (DCGOs) published in academic journals and/or conference proceedings. Factors having an impact on project management practices in public organizations of developing countries were identified and categorized into; structural factors, government control procedures, contractor issues and lack of project management knowledge and project manager’s expertise. It was also observed that a majority of the studies applied a positivist methodology, using statistical measures to collect and analyse data. Based on the studies reviewed, the findings suggest that a combination of the factors identified will be required to enhance project management practices in public organizations of developing countries. In addition the article posits that an alternative research methodology should be applied to studying project management practices in differing contexts

Decision making in the front end of large-scale projects: a scoping review.

Decisions made by project managers at the front-end stage can have a significant impact on the success of large-scale complex projects, but there appears to be limited evidence on underlying behavioural decision-making processes. The analytical modes of decision-making are the more widely recognised decision-making approach in project management literature, while the typical errors relating to the use of other decision approaches, such as heuristics and the resulting biases, are emphasised. Behavioural decision making is relatively new and offers a different lens to studying decision making in the front end of projects. This scoping review aims to provide a structured overview of the debate and findings of studies on decision-making at the front end of large-scale complex projects to make suggestions for future research. A scoping review was conducted using Arksey and O'Malley's framework. The literature review was conducted by scoping available peer-reviewed literature published in three major academic online databases: Scopus, EBSCOhost and Web of Science, by analysing 17 papers published between 1983 and 2023 (years inclusive). More research needs to focus on actual decision-making behaviours at the front end of large-scale complex projects, as indicated by the low number of articles that were retrieved. A call for more investigation into how decisions are made at this crucial phase of project management is proposed to improve front-end value creation

Propositions for utilising emotional intelligence in construction organisations.

The emotional intelligence (EI) concept is prevalent within management literature and is recognized as an important skill for managers in achieving organisational effectiveness. However, scholars report an unwillingness by the construction industry to fully embrace this concept. This study aims to provide an assessment of EI research that relates specifically to construction project managers (CPM) and construction professionals (CP) through a literature review which involved a chronological and interpretive approach. Findings revealed that, in general, only a minimal number of investigations have been carried out with regards to the construction industry. Characteristics of reviewed studies include a predominance of quantitative methodologies and lack of consideration for both cultural orientation and the nature of the task/activity. It is suggested that studies of EI in construction need to consider concepts applied in social and management studies such as 'Identity and Culture' so as to discover more insights on how EI can be trained and utilized. The study offers relevant information for researchers, instructors and CP on ways to harness practical benefits of EI

Effects of millennials willingness to pay on buying behaviour at ethical and socially responsible restaurants: serial mediation analysis.

This study empirically examines millennials' buying behaviour at restaurants undertaking Corporate Social Responsibility activities by testing the effects of willingness to pay on buying behaviour. Using Hayes' serial mediation PROCESS model, the study analyses the direct and indirect effects of millennials' willingness to pay on their buying behaviour at ethical and socially responsible restaurants using data from 212 millennials in North-East Scotland. Results showed that willingness to pay has significant direct and indirect effects on buying behaviour. The mediation effect of environmental concern was not supported. The serial mediation analysis showed that environmental concern, social influence, and personal norms jointly mediated the effects of willingness to pay on buying behaviour. The proposed serial model suggests that only direct measure of willingness to pay on buying behaviour is insufficient for restaurants to respond to millennials' expectations, providing empirical evidence on the need for customer's engagement as businesses emerge from covid-19

Naturalistic decision making and decision drivers in the front end of complex projects.

Decision making plays a crucial role in the front end of projects, which is a critical stage for maximising the performance of complex projects. Although it has been suggested that project managers rely more on analytical approaches to decision making as opposed to an intuitive mode, there is emerging evidence of project managers using intuitive decision processes. Yet, little is known about how this occurs during the frontend phase, with few attempts to study the underlying cognitive processes and what influences project decision making. This research gap is addressed by interviewing project managers experienced in front-end decision making (n =16) of large-scale complex projects within the oil and gas industry. Adopting a naturalistic decisionmaking (NDM) methodology and using a form of cognitive task analysis, a thematic coding of their accounts of decision making during the front end of large complex projects identified key decision processes and influencing factors (drivers). Formal analytical processes (e.g., data-driven calculations, software rating tools) were favoured, but - and in line with emerging findings - these experienced project managers also used intuitive decision-making processes, such as pattern recognition and feelings/associative memory. Decision drivers were grouped into 5 clusters - project external factors, project internal factors, social dimensions, individual differences, and time pressures. The findings suggest that project managers should be trained on how to recognise when intuitive decision making is occurring, and how to use it while being aware of its strengths, weaknesses and influencing factors. A focus on building descriptive models of actual decision making in complex environments for the training of project managers by applying NDM methods will enhance the management of the front end of projects

Strengthening student engagement: evaluating the role of the digital skills agenda in higher education.

Digital technology can contribute to all three areas of the TEF: teaching quality; learning environment; and student outcomes (Davies S, Mullan and Feldman 2017). Digital skills are helpful in designing enhanced and effective learning activities (Copley 2007), as multimedia promotes interests and engagement. It provides flexibility for students, in terms of where and when they can undertake their learning activity. It therefore improves student experience and outcomes (Davies S, Mullan and Feldman 2017). Its use enhances feedback: task feedback through online submissions; process feedback through audio and video feedbacks; and self-regulation feedback through computer simulation, as well as anonymous instructor and peer feedback (Hattie 2012). It can help in developing effective learning environments, from basic websites to augmented reality simulations (Dreyer and Nel, 2003). Therefore, in the present environment, digital agenda should be an integral part of continuing professional development (CPD)